Analysis: These videos are where people share the flows, rituals and hidden satisfaction of their work lives and their views on the workplace
There is a special kind of magic in watching a tiler achieve a perfect fit with a stubborn corner tile. This everyday skill leaves us wondering how bathrooms and kitchens come together so seamlessly. On his account, jackthetileruk, each reel makes precision seem surprisingly calming.
Scroll slightly further, and you reach thatcorporatelawyer, a corporate lawyer sharing his work-from-home experience with a playful tone: the gradual wake-up, the morning ritual of coffee, and the short, ten-step commute.
These WorkTok creators may be from very different worlds, but both enjoy showcasing the subtle joys of observing someone's workday. They're part of a vast ecosystem where people share the flows, rituals and hidden satisfaction of their work lives. It is a place where jobs transform into stories, and everyday workdays become moments worth reflecting on. It is a prevailing trend on social media that offers commentary on the contemporary workplace.
The rise of the WorkTok trend was partly due to TikTok’s rapid growth. According to Statista.com in June 2025, TikTok is among the most popular apps worldwide, ranking as the second most downloaded app globally and surpassing market leaders like WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. In just the second quarter of 2025, TikTok was downloaded approximately 192 million times globally.
The pandemic further accelerated this change. Suddenly, people worked from improvised offices in their homes. With no clear guidelines for managing this new situation, they began sharing their own experiences. What began as individuals trying to understand an unfamiliar environment quickly became a collective display of the new normal. Workers became unintended influencers simply by showing how they were managing their day.
From RTÉ Radio 1's David McCullagh Show, workplace psychologist Patricia Murray on the pros - and cons - of 'workplace fun'
A noticeable trend is that WorkTok attracts mainly Gen Z and millennials, two generations comfortable sharing their working lives online. Their relationship with work is influenced by digital literacy, economic insecurity, and a craving for transparency. These reasons explain why WorkTok naturally becomes their go-to platform and is a place to compare and share experiences, find support and express frustrations.
Studies and industry analyses consistently indicate that Gen Z primarily uses platforms like TikTok or Instagram to influence career expectations and workplace norms, including seeking or giving advice and redefining professional culture. Millennials are also prominent users, attracted to the mix of humour and relatability of WorkTok.
Here are some of the popular workplace trends highlighted in #WorkTok.
#LazyGirlJob
Do not be misled by that title: this trend is not about laziness, but challenges the idea that work should pervade every aspect of life. Popularised by creator Gabrielle Judge, it promotes roles prioritising balance, boundaries and stability over nonstop hustle. These videos highlight careers that create room for rest, hobbies, and personal well-being, shifting the focus of ambition toward sustainability rather than overexertion.
This aligns with the conservation of resources theory, showing younger workers try to protect their limited emotional and cognitive reserves amid burnout, instability, and rising demands. The theory states that when people anticipate resource loss or feel unable to meet expectations, they tend to shift toward roles that reduce strain and promote recovery.
For many Gen Z and millennial viewers dealing with burnout and economic challenges, the #LazyGirlJob represents a vision of a healthier work-life balance in which productivity does not compromise quality of life.
#LoudLabouring
This trend sharply contrasts with #QuietQuitting, #RevengeQuitting and #LazyGirlJob, as it represents a different type of workplace performance. Instead of minimising effort, loud labouring emphasises showcasing it. This involves making work visible, sharing real-time task updates, and signalling productivity to observers. It often shows creators recording themselves managing numerous to-do lists, juggling multiple deadlines, or working through long days with an exaggerated display of determination.
For Gen Z and millennials, it reflects both humour and pressure. In a way, it is a playful parody of hustle culture, but also an honest examination of how performative modern work can feel. Somehow, it turns the act of appearing busy into content, exposing the tension between genuine productivity and the need to be seen working.
#ActYourWage
I see this trend situated between the previously mentioned ideas, anchoring these evolving attitudes in concepts well established in organisational psychology. It reflects equity theory, which states that individuals evaluate fairness by comparing their input to their output at work. When the perceived balance is disrupted, they modify their effort.
It also aligns with expectancy theory, in which motivation depends on whether the rewards seem achievable and meaningful. Instead of the performative intensity of loud labouring or dramatic revenge quitting, this trend presents a balanced re-evaluation. For Gen Z and millennials, it represents a rational, values-driven insistence that commitment be matched by compensation. This online trend benefits young workers but raises concerns about how work is portrayed online.
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From RTÉ Brainstorm, why micro-retirement has become a new workplace trend for Gen Z and millennials
WorkTok provides younger workers a platform to normalise boundaries, exchange coping techniques and rethink healthier relationships with their jobs. Highlighting trends such as those I mentioned earlier affirms various approaches to managing modern workplace pressures.
However, it can expose workers to serious professional risks when behind-the-scenes content unintentionally reveals sensitive procedures or internal systems. Several creators have faced disciplinary action or termination after posting routine "come to work with me" videos that disclosed information or procedures employers deemed confidential.
WorkTok ultimately sits in a grey zone. It empowers younger workers to redefine healthier norms while simultaneously exposing them to new risks. It reminds us that visibility in the digital workplace can be both a tool for agency and a source of vulnerability.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
